Happiness
by Riveted
Summary: "Not this kind of change.  Change is mutual.  How could this be change if both of us don't want it."  Fate stiffened as Nanoha got even closer, if that was possible, until their foreheads touched.  Nanofate one shot.


"Mama I love you!" Vivio squeeled as she held tightly to Nanoha's hand. The brunette smiled, slate blue eyes full of mirth as she pat the small blonde's head.

"Mou Vivio, no need to say that so loud . . ." Nanoha scratched her cheek awkwardly as a blush colored her face.

"She loves you Nanoha. Why would she need to hide it?" Fate murmured in that sultry voice of hers. The brunette glanced behind her and winked.

_That goes for you too, Fate-chan._

Giggling the flight instructor and the little girl continued walking forward.

"Mama, pick me up please?" Vivio reached upward, hands outstreached expectantly. The brunette chuckled, smiling gently. Fate watched it all from behind them, her burgundy eyes taking it all in like a spectator. That's what she had always been. Someone who watched from the sidelines, not quite playing in the game of life unless she had to. She fought against the Book of Darkness because she had to, she fought against Jail Scaglietti because she had to, she had left her mother because she had to . . . Pensively the blonde clenched her hands into fists.

"Always," she mumbled quietly. Idly she wondered if that was what would happen with Nanoha too. Yes they were close friends, had been for ten years now, but wasn't she just holding Yunno's place until he got the courage to date Nanoha. That was what everyone else thought. And perhaps along the way that was what Fate believed as well. A wetness stung her eye and she brushed it away.

_"Mama, I love you!"_

_ "Mama loves Alicia too." _

Fate stiffened and slowly glanced over her shoulder as if in a dream. She was dreaming. That had to be the only explanation for what she saw!

A tall woman with long black ebony hair held onto the hand of a fair child with ruby eyes. They smiled at each other and walked into the distance.

"M-mother?" She glanced at Nanoha and Vivio, drawing the parallel between the two. She turned around and saw that she was merely staring at a window, not a mother and child from her past. But she shivered and feverishly countinued to gaze at the window, as if willing the image to return.

"Fate-chan?" The blonde saw Nanoha staring at her, an unfathomable look in those beautiful slate blue eyes. It was enough to break the girl from her reverie.

"I'm sorry Nanoha. I got distracted again." She smiled warmly. Fate took a step forward and followed the girls, but not before casting a longing look over her shoulder.

. . . . .

"Testarossa?" The pink-haired night frowned as she watched the blonde woman staring blankly at the paperwork in front of her.

"Testarossa?"

"Signum, why do you call me that?" Fate snapped her wine red eyes flashing in a rare gleam of annoyance.

The woman shrugged and pressed her shoulder against the wall behind her. The blonde waited expectantly, chin resting on her hands in anticipation.

"Well, you responded to it . . ." she began slowly. Fate nodded her head, her eyes still expectant.

"And it seems like that name, Testarossa, is apart of you. It's a piece of your identity that will never fade away with time. It formed you and shaped you and made you who you are. So how could I not call you by it?" Signum gave Fate a rare smile, uncrossing her arms and stepping toward the sliding metal doors.

"I see," mumbled Fate, her ruby eyes thoughtful.

"I hope you do." Signum waved behind her head and stepped through the doors, leaving Fate alone with her thoughts. No, alone with herself like she always was.

. . . . .

"What?" Nanoha asked her head slightly tilted to the side in curiosity.

"Well," Hayate began her sapphire eyes thoughtful, "It just seems Fate-chan has been a bit down lately. I thought it would be appropriate if you would . . . er . . . cheer her up perhaps?" The short haired brunette smiled in embarrassment, trying to erase the naughty thoughts from her slightly perverted brain.

"Sometimes Fate-chan just has her quiet times. I try to leave her alone with her thoughts when she does that. The last time I tried to talk to her about it she-" Nanoha paused, her eyes darkening at the memory.

_"Ne, Fate-chan, what's wrong?" Darkness and the comforter of their new spacious bed seemed to muffle the kind voice. Silence was Nanoha's answer. Inquisitively she reached forward and touched the blonde's shoulder. When that received no response she wrapped her arm around the girl's waist. _

_ "Nanoha." The voice was warning her, she could sense it. But she needed to find out what was wrong. She had to find out why Fate had been so sad lately. Stubbornly the brunette pulled herself close to the blonde until they were barely inches apart. Pensive burgundy stared into expectant slate blue. _

_ They both knew that Fate would never deny Nanoha anything. It just was not in the girl's nature to say no to something that the brunette asked for. But that day Fate went against her own programming. _

_ "I'll sleep on the couch tonight Nanoha." Gently Fate pried Nanoha's hands off her waist and sat up in the bed. _

_ "Fate-chan!" _

_ "I'm sorry." She left the bedroom, leaving Nanoha in darkness. _

Hayate sighed and leaned back into her chair, eyes closed.

"Just try again Nanoha-chan. Who knows, maybe she will tell you something."

"But Hayate-"

"This is an order from your Commander Nanoha. We both know that when she gets like this she stays at her office all night. How long has it been since she's slept in your bed?"

"A week," Nanoha mumbled timidly.

"Exactly. Go and help Fate-chan." Hayate smiled as Nanoha nodded slowly, standing and leaving the office. The short-haired brunette frowned. She had never seen Nanoha like that before. The White Devil of the TSAB had a look of fear in her eyes. A fear of rejection.

. . . . . .

"I'm home." Nanoha rose from her chair in surprise. Fate was home? She ran forward eagerly, watching her as she slipped off her shoes and stepped into the living room.

"Fate-mama!" Vivio beat Nanoha to the blonde, wrapping her arms around the woman's long leg. Playfully Fate lifted the girl into her arms and hugged her tightly.

"W-welcome back, Fate-chan," Nanoha murmured nervously, averting her eyes.

The blonde merely gave her a shadow of a smile and put Vivio down. To Nanoha's surprise she strode forward and pulled her into her arms. The grip was gentle yet firm, the warmth that surrounded her reminded Nanoha of the many times when they had hugged. Fate's embraces through the years had always been a comfort. Therefore Nanoha would comfort Fate.

"I need to talk to you late," a husky voice whispered in her ear. Nanoha wordlessly responded with a nod.

"I'm glad you're back."

For a brief moment, so short in fact that it was almost impossible to see, the blonde's eyes darkened.

"Mm." She smiled crookedly and dropped her arms from the brunette's waist.

"Fate-mama I missed you lots and lots. Nanoha-mama said you would come home soon and I knew it was true!" Vivio smiled eagerly, heterochromatic eyes glowing happily.

Fate smiled and pat the blonde hair on the girl's head into place.

"I missed you too Vivio."

_I bet I missed you more Fate-chan. _

_. . . . ._

Nanoha sat on the bed stroking the hair of the lovely child beside her. Vivio was dead asleep, her chest rising and falling with each lovely breath. The brunette leaned forward and tenderly kissed her forehead.

"Is she sleeping?" Fate asked with her back facing Nanoha. She was hanging her clothes in the closet.

"Mm. She looks so peaceful."

Fate lips subtly curved upward as she walked forward, wearing her black camisole and black tights. She ambled toward the light switch, but her finger stopped in mid-flick her eyes suddenly full of melancholy.

"Nanoha, we need to talk." She glanced toward the brunette who lay on the bed, pink pajamas creased with wear.

"Yes, what is it Fate-chan?"

"I-I want to move out of this apartment." There she had said it. Voiced the opinion of her mind and not her heart.

Nanoha frowned.

"Well we have to Fate-chan, Hayate-chan go the order for Section Six to be disbanded. We have to leave-"

"There is no we, Nanoha." Fate sighed wearily. She had put a lot of thought into this. "_I _want to move out by myself."

The brunette's eyes widened. She stared at the lone blonde who was near the wall, hand now dropping from the light switch and resting limply at her side.

"W-what?"

"I think it would be much easier. Section Six is going to be disbanded in a few days. Both of us will need to find homes and I think it would be easier for both of us if we go our separate ways. I will be on too many missions. It'll be difficult for you. Besides Yunno c-could-" The fierce glare from Nanoha made Fate stutter to a halt.

Silence penetrated the room.

"Why are you being like this Fate-chan? Is this why you've been staying at work for a week? To think about _that_?" Slate blue narrowed angrily. The brunette stood and strode toward the blonde, standing right in front of her. She placed her hands on either side of Fate's face and stared deep into the troubled burgundy eyes.

"It's for the best Nanoha. We can always remain friends. It would not make any difference!" Desperately the blonde stared at Nanoha's hardened face.

"It would make a difference to me, Fate-chan." Fate paused and her eyes widened in surprise as the brunette leaned closer until the blonde could taste the other's breath.

"Do you know how much it would hurt me if you left? We've always been together Fate-chan! Since we were nine!"

"Change is a good thing Nanoha," mumbled Fate. The brunette shook her head.

"Not this kind of change. Change is mutual. How could this be change if both of us don't want it." Fate stiffened as Nanoha got even closer, if that was possible, until their foreheads' touched.

"Nanoha-"

"Don't talk. I can't listen to this nonsense anymore."

So Nanoha took action. She silenced Fate with her lips. The blonde tried to push the brunette off her but after a moment of resistance she realized it was futile. The softness of Nanoha's lips against hers was overwhelming. Without thinking she wrapped her arms around her and deepened the kiss. Strangely enough when the two parted for air, Nanoha's pajama top was unbuttoned and both of them were on the floor.

The blonde's ruby red eyes were unreadable but the brunette's slate blue were satisfied.

"I love you, Fate-chan."

The enforcer's chest twisted in pain.

"You don't mean that Nanoha." In response the bruntte crashed her lips against Fate's.

"Mmph- stop it Nanoha!" Fate's voice raised in anger. Silence reigned once more.

"Why are you so difficult Fate-chan?"

"Because I know it isn't true."

Nanoha's eyebrow twitched skeptically.

"Really? How so?"

Fate turned her face to the side and began to get off the brunette. Slowly she sat on her ankles, her cheeks radiating with warmth.

"I-I'm not good enough for you Nanoha."

The girl merely stared at the blonde in response.

"I'm . . . I'm messed up Nanoha. I had an abusive parent, I still have scars from her beatings, I'm a clone, I-"

Nanoha gently pressed her finger against Fate's lips.

"Fate-chan is Fate-chan. I love you for you. Regardless of what," Nanoha's lips twitched angrily, "_Precia_ did to you in the past or how she created you, I still and will always love you." Fate felt something wet slide down her cheek. Smiling Nanoha wiped the tears away with her thumb.

"N-nanoha. . . I love you too."

The brunette grinned.

"That makes me happy, Fate-chan." _So very happy. _

. . . . . .

"Ne, Signum?"

The two women sat on the park bench during a rare break, sipping coffee from styrofoam cups.

"Yes Testarossa?"

The blonde traced the shape of the lip of the cup. Her burgundy eyes thoughtfully stared into the carmel colored depths of the liquid. She glanced up and smiled at the pink-haired knight.

"Signum, you don't have to call me Testarossa, it doesn't matter. To me I am Fate and I hope that you can call me my name of the present, not the past."

Signum's lips curved into an unusual smile.

"Is that so . . . Fate?"

The blonde smiled and crossed her legs, sipping the bitter coffee with flourish.

"Yes it is." Happily the old friends gazed upward and stared at the opal sky.

_A/N Ah, the wonders of random plot bunnies. Well I hoped you liked it. I got inspiration from this picture at : .us/content/080jpg . Don't worry I'll finish Labores Solis eventually, just give me some time. Please review! Who knows, maybe if I get enough there might be a fluffy bonus chapter. )_


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